Google’s newly established cloud region in Johannesburg represents an R2.5-billion ($137m+) investment into South Africa, marking a significant milestone in the continent’s digital and technological landscape. The scale of the investment was highlighted by South African data management and analytics company Tregter, which praised the development as a transformative leap for both South Africa and the wider African continent.
“This infrastructure investment marks a giant step forward in business and technology transformation, not only for South Africa but for the entire continent,” said Ferdinand Steenkamp, Tregter’s co-founder. “With this new cloud region, Africa now has access to the best data warehouse platform in the world.”
Tregter, derived from the Afrikaans word for “funnel,” symbolizes the movement and cleansing of data from multiple sources into a central repository where it can be analyzed for valuable insights.
Google first announced that its Johannesburg cloud region was operational in January last year, signaling a strategic effort to accelerate Africa’s tech ecosystem. At the time, Google Cloud emphasized that the region would provide businesses across Africa with the tools to scale, innovate, and compete on a global stage.
“Businesses of all sizes across the continent now have access to high-performance, secure, and low-latency cloud services,” Google stated. The Johannesburg region is Google’s first cloud region in both South Africa and Africa, positioning the country as a critical hub for digital transformation.
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Google projected that Africa’s Internet economy would reach $180 billion (R3.3 trillion) by 2025, contributing 5.2% of the continent’s gross domestic product (GDP). To support this growth, Google has committed $1 billion (R18 billion) toward Africa’s digital transformation. This commitment focuses on investing in infrastructure, fostering tech talent, and supporting a thriving startup ecosystem.
The opening of the Johannesburg cloud region expands Google’s global network to 40 cloud regions and 121 zones, offering services to over 200 countries and territories. The region is also integrated with Google’s secure, high-capacity fiber optic network, which spans land and sea across the globe. This includes the Equiano subsea cable system, recently completed, which connects Portugal with Togo, Nigeria, Namibia, South Africa, and St. Helena.
“We are excited to partner with organizations across the continent and help them discover the advantages of digital transformation,” Google said.
Several major African companies already use Google Cloud services, including Deloitte Africa, FNB, Liquid, MTN Group, and Pepkor.
In addition to its infrastructure investment, Google South Africa continues to support digital skills development through educational initiatives. These include programs such as Cloud OnBoard, Cloud Hero, and the Google Hustle Academy, which train learners and business owners in generative AI (Gen AI), machine learning (ML), application and infrastructure modernization, data analytics, and digital marketing.
